Discipleship (Mark)

Contributed on Dec 28, 2012

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If we want to follow Christ, we must recognize our sin, recognize the Son and repent.

Some time ago (1996), the staff at the Bridger Wilderness Area in the Teton National Forest in Wyoming received the following responses on comment cards from hikers on their trails. These are actual responses!
Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands.
Trails need to
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Contributed on Jan 15, 2013

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Whatever we do, we must not let our traditions steal our joy or our love. We must not let “church business” keep us from “the business of the church.”

A few years ago, I came across some odd laws from a long time ago that were still on the books in the 21st Century. I think you’ll find them quite amusing.
For example, young girls are never allowed to walk a tightrope in Wheeler, Mississippi, unless it's in a church.
In
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Contributed on Jan 22, 2013

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Don’t crowd Jesus only when you have a need. Instead, answer His call to be with Him, to preach, and to have power.

Several years ago, on New Year's Day, a beautiful float in the Tournament of Roses parade suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil
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Contributed on Jun 25, 2013

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If you want to be truly great and make a difference for good in our world, then do what Jesus did: Be the least and serve the least among us.

Some time ago, I came across this piece written by a child. He imagines what it would be like if he were in charge of the world. If I were in charge of the world, he writes, “I’d cancel oatmeal, Monday mornings, allergy shots. If I were in charge of the world, there’d be
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Contributed on Apr 2, 2013

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When all hope seems gone, believe in Jesus even if your friends despise him; believe in Jesus even if he delays his help; and believe in Jesus even in the face of death.

William Alexander, in his book, The $64 Tomato, asks the question, “If you were doomed to live the same life over and over again for eternity, would you choose the life you are living now? The question is interesting enough,” he says, “but … the point of asking it is really
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Contributed on Feb 6, 2013

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If you want to be part of Christ’s real family, then don’t reject Him as a lunatic; don’t revile him as a devil; receive Him as Lord.

For years an elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems, and for years his family tried again and again to persuade him to get a hearing aid, but he always refused. Then finally, one day, he gave in. He went to the doctor and was fitted for a set of one of those nearly invisible hearing aids
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Contributed on Apr 3, 2014

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If you want that "insane courage" which will change your life and your world, bow before Christ as your Sovereign and believe in Him as your Substitute.

The 2011 film We Bought a Zoo was based on the true story of a British man named Benjamin Mee. In 2006 Mee and his family purchased and moved into a 30-acre zoo. In his book with the same title, Mee says that his new “neighbors” included “five Siberian tigers, three African lions,
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Contributed on May 14, 2013

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True love sees the need, feels the need and meets the need.

In nearly 27 years of pastoral ministry, I have been asked some tough questions about the Christian faith. One of the toughest questions regards the problem of evil and why a good and all-powerful God allows people to suffer in this world. Peter Kreeft, a Christian apologist and philosopher, has
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Contributed on Aug 6, 2013

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If you want to be rich in the things that really count, don’t rely on yourself; rely on the Lord and don’t boast about your sacrifices. Then you will not only inherit eternal life, you will be first in God's Kingdom.

Many years ago, a very wealthy man invited Pastor George A. Truett to a dinner on his Texas ranch. After the meal, he took his pastor to a place where they had a good view of the surrounding area.
The rich man pointed north to the oil wells punctuating the landscape and boasted, “25
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Contributed on Mar 6, 2013

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Rest in the Lord and so find rest in the storm. Trust in His Word, His presence and His power.

A young father in a supermarket was pushing a shopping cart with his little son, who was strapped in the front. The little boy was fussing, irritable, and crying. The other shoppers gave the pair a wide berth because the child would pull cans off the shelf and throw them out of the cart. The
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Contributed on Apr 18, 2013

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Don't let ridicule, rejection or even death stop you from serving Christ, because in the end it is the only way to live!

Linda, who teaches first grade in Dallas Texas, has an interesting job, especially when it comes to helping children adjust to their first whole day of school. Little Ryan was used to going home at noon in kindergarten; so when it was time to go to lunch with the rest of the class, he got his
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Contributed on Jan 7, 2014

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If we want to bear fruit for the glory of God this year, i.e., lead people to Christ on a regular basis and see their lives transformed for all eternity, then we must let Christ clean out the fruitless religion and we must get on our knees and pray.

A clergyman dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket, and jeans.
Saint Peter says to this guy, “Who are you, so that I may know whether to admit you into the Kingdom of Heaven?”
The guy replies,
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Contributed on Jun 11, 2013

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If we glimpse the glory that's coming tomorrow, we'll be able to carry the cross today

There were three sisters – ages 92, 94, and 96 – who lived together. One night, the 96-year-old drew a bath. She put one foot in, then paused. “Was I getting in the tub or out?” she yelled.
The 94-year-old hollered back, “I don't know, I'll come and see.”
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Contributed on Apr 23, 2013

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When life gets overwhelming, trust Jesus to provide rest, resources, and reassurance.

Once there was a turkey farmer who was always trying to perfect a way to breed a better turkey. All the members of his family enjoyed turkey legs, and there was never enough for everyone. But after several frustrating attempts, the farmer told his friends at the general store, “Well I
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Contributed on Apr 30, 2013

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If you want to keep your relationship with Christ fresh and vital, don't focus on tradition and clean hands; instead, focus on scripture and a clean heart.

Alan Kraft, in his book, Good News for Those Trying Harder, shares a story about a time when his wife borrowed his car and heard a CD he had loaded in the sound system. The song touched her. When she asked him about it, he was able to recite the lyrics, but had never thought much about their
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Contributed on Jul 2, 2013

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We bring out the best in people not with harsh words of criticism, but with words of grace and peace seasoned with salt.

An efficiency expert concluded a lecture with a note of caution: “You don't want to try these techniques at home.”
“Why not?” asked someone from the back of the audience.
“I watched my wife's routine at breakfast for years,” the expert explained.
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Contributed on Feb 11, 2014

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Don’t waste your life in secret, cheap acts designed to get the praise of people. Instead, give it all away in exposed, expensive, extravagant acts of devotion to our Lord, because that is what real worship is all about.

Did you ever have trouble staying awake at church? Mr. Bean did. Take a look (show Mr. Bean Falling Asleep at Church; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B1V1PFsyho).
The congregation stares blankly straight ahead, and the preaching drones on in a nonsensical blah blah blah monotone that is
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Contributed on May 28, 2013

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If you want to be truly wise, don’t be like those who WON’T SEE, and don’t be like those who CAN’T SEE. Instead, be like those who DO SEE, because they let Jesus touch them, not just once, but as many times as it takes.

A businessman was late for an important meeting and couldn't find a parking space. As he frantically circled the block, the man got so desperate that he decided to pray.
Looking up toward heaven, he said, “Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking space, I'll go to church every
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Contributed on Mar 28, 2014

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When life takes an unexpected turn, trust in God's plan and don't be faithless and desert, denounce, or disown Jesus; but if you already have, trust in God's grace.

Ivan Misner, in his book The World's Best Known Marketing Secrets, tells the story of a San Diego bank, which hired a private investigator to track down a bank robber and retrieve stolen funds. The search led to Mexico. The investigator crossed the border and then, realizing he would need a Spanish
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Contributed on Jan 2, 2013

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If we would follow Jesus into the place of power, we must follow Him into the solitary place of prayer.

A man from Berlin, Germany, took an unusual approach in trying to bring peace to his marriage. CNN reported that the man was using an old air raid siren to stun his wife into submission.
“My wife never lets me get a word in edgeways,” the man identified as Vladimir R. told the
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Contributed on Aug 13, 2013

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If you want to live a life that matters, sacrifice, suffer, submit and serve. These are 4 words we don't like very much, because they seem like steps down to obscurity, but in God's Kingdom they are steps up to true greatness.

The movie, Pearl Harbor, tells the story of two friends, Rafe and Danny, who survive the attack on Pearl Harbor and enter World War II as fighter pilots.
In training before the war, Rafe McCawley is one of America's top fighter pilots. When America initially holds back from entering the war,
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Contributed on Jun 18, 2013

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Prayer and care. Faith and love. These are the lessons we must learn from failure if we're going to make a real difference in our world like Jesus' first disciples did. Depend on the Lord and care for people. Then watch God do some powerful things!

A CEO has taken on a new job, and the outgoing CEO says to him, “Sometimes you'll make wrong choices. You will. You'll mess up. When that happens, I have prepared three envelopes for you. I left them in the top drawer of the desk. The first time it happens, open #1. The second time you
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Contributed on Jan 14, 2014

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If we want to live lives of real influence, then we must fear God, not people.

One day, a bus driver was driving along his usual route. He didn't encounter any problems for the first few stops; a few people got on, a few got off, and things went generally well. At one stop, however, a big hulk of a man got on. He was 6' 8" tall, built like a wrestler, and his arms hung down
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Contributed on Apr 8, 2014

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In order to find certainty in uncertain times, obey Christ as your sovereign, follow Christ as your servant, and trust Christ as your Savior.

Certainty in Uncertainty (Mark 11:1-11)
Some time ago, I came across an article from The Futurist magazine, which listed some of the worst predictions of all time. They are very interesting. For example:
A Roman engineer, Julius Sextus Frontinus, in A.D. 100 said, “Inventions have
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Contributed on Feb 20, 2013

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If you and I want the influence of our lives to have a multiplying effect in this world, then we must hear the Word; believe it and do it!

A lawyer, a doctor and a preacher were hunting together when they came upon a big buck. All three of them shot at the same time, and the buck immediately dropped to the ground. The lawyer, the doctor and the preacher rushed in to examine their prey, but they could not determine whose shot had
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Contributed on Jul 9, 2013

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If you want to live happily ever after with your spouse, then don’t be looking for loopholes or reasons to split up. Instead, look to the Lord and then look only on your spouse. It's more important to BE the right person than to marry the right person.

Ralph and Janice were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, and Pastor Jones decided to take advantage of their longevity by using their story as a sermon illustration. He asked Ralph to come on stage and share some insight into how he managed to live with the same woman all those
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Contributed on Jul 29, 2013

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If we want to reach the next generation for Christ, we must bring a child to Jesus, be a child ourselves, and bless a child.

Little 5-year-old Kayse Poland grew more and more excited about her first day of kindergarten, and her 3-year-old sister, Jayme, watched her with great fascination. On the Sunday before the first day of school, Kayse fell and skinned her knee.
Tears began to flow, and Jayme, seeing the blood
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Contributed on Mar 13, 2013

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If you want to really live, don't let Satan destroy you and don't let society detain you. Instead, let the Savior deliver you and use your for His glory.

The Movie, Braveheart, tells the story of a common man named William Wallace who led Scotland to freedom from English rule.
At the end of the movie, Wallace has been betrayed to the English and sits in prison awaiting execution. The Princess of Wales, who wants to free him, comes to his cell.
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Contributed on Mar 6, 2014

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As we get ready for the Lord's Table, we must prepare ourselves, because hard times are ahead. Even so, we can be grateful.

Several years ago, in a small-town church in upstate New York, a well-loved pastor who had been there for 35 years retired. He was replaced by a young pastor just starting out in ministry. The young man had a great desire to do well, but after just a few weeks he began to perceive that the people
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Contributed on Dec 31, 2013

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If you want to be a world-changer in times of adversity, don't let anything keep you from Christ. Instead, trust Him with your life and let Him change you and use you to change the world.

Whether or not the Kansas City Chiefs advance to the Super Bowl, the game is worth watching if only for its humorous and inventive commercials. Three years ago (2011) Chevrolet put on a commercial which featured a Silverado pick-up truck, acting like a modern-day Lassie. It repeatedly rescued a
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